Members of the Madison homeless community will have the opportunity to take their talents to the stage in the first ever Street Pulse/WISPIRG talent show Thursday.
The event will be held in the Great Hall of Memorial Union. Entertainment will begin at 7 p.m., with a free meal for homeless performers at 6:30 p.m.
WISPIRG has partnered with the cooperative to help promote the talent show.
The talent show is the brainchild of UW-Madison student Ben Schapiro and will raise money for Street Pulse, Madison's homeless cooperate newspaper; promote awareness on the issue of homelessness and provide a stage on which members of the homeless community can express themselves, according to Schapiro.
""We wanted to offer a different medium, besides the newspaper, through which the homeless could express ideas and emotions,"" Schapiro said.
Street Pulse is a nonprofit organization that combines the efforts of UW-Madison students and members of the homeless community to put out a monthly newspaper. The cooperative writes, edits and produces the paper, while the homeless are employed as vendors.
""The cooperative also holds food and clothing drives, as well as actively working to solve the problem of homelessness through providing employment,"" Schapiro said.
The talent show will feature many of the recognizable performers from State Street, including Art Paul Schlosser, who has been a street musician since 1986. Schlosser has released several albums over the years, featuring humorous original songs and parodies.
""Some of the homeless I've recruited are outstanding blues singers and guitarists,"" Schapiro said. ""We also have a comedian who plans to put a humorous spin on the horrors of homelessness.""
University students will also be performing, including MadHatters a cappella, First Wave Spoken Word and Hip Hop Arts Learning Community, Hypnotiq dance crew and local band Dirty Jive, among others.
""Music and the arts have the unique ability of bringing people from completely different socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds together,"" Schapiro said.
